CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019
Operating activities
Net loss	$ (1,446)	$ (371)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Depreciation	443	405
Amortization of intangibles	9	11
Loss on sale of fixed assets, net	14
Foreign exchange loss (gain)	2	(157)
Non-cash changes in accounts receivable	42	53
Non-cash changes in inventories	430	503
Non-cash lease expense	653
Stock-based compensation expense on stock options and restricted stock awards	982	792
Deferred income taxes	797	(209)
Increase in cash surrender value of life insurance	(115)	(134)
Non-cash other	16
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Decrease (increase) in accounts receivable	1,755	(2,128)
Decrease in life insurance receivable		256
Decrease (increase) in inventories	2,105	(777)
Increase in refundable income taxes	(320)	585
Increase in operating lease right-of-use assets	(2,667)
Decrease (increase) in other assets	2,089	(3,091)
Decrease in investment in lease	367	26
Decrease (increase) in long-term receivable	1,685	(5,328)
(Decrease) increase in accounts payable and accrued expenses	(8,030)	7,232
Increase in operating lease liabilities	2,068
Increase (decrease) in deferred revenue	206	(244)
Decrease in pension and retirement plans liabilities	(305)	(353)
Decrease in income taxes payable	(108)	(500)
(Decrease) increase in other long-term liabilities	(428)	100
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	244	(3,329)
Investing activities
Life insurance premiums paid	(115)	(144)
Purchases of property, equipment and improvements	(230)	(832)
Net cash used in investing activities	(345)	(976)
Financing activities
Dividends paid	(1,262)	(2,467)
Net payments under line-of-credit agreement	(886)	(788)
Proceeds from debt	4,217	1,001
Repayments on debt	(1,137)
Principal payments on finance leases	(333)	(276)
Purchase of common stock	(46)
Proceeds from issuance of shares under equity compensation plans	279	280
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	832	(2,250)
Effects of exchange rate on cash	434	(453)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	1,165	(7,008)
Cash and cash equivalents beginning of period	18,099	25,107
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	19,264	18,099
Supplementary cash flow information:
Cash paid for income taxes	22	52
Cash paid for interest	277	68
Supplementary non-cash financing and investing activities:
Obtaining a right-of-use asset in exchange for a lease liability	$ 216
Non-cash purchases of property and equipment		$ 141